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Caspar was not on this place anymore, Ex knew that, but there was lingering presence about him there.
It was Earth, but one where things got out of control. there were adds everywhere, people with QR codes on their foreheads and brands as far as the eye could see.
As Ex looked for Caspar, a woman came running out of nowhere right into her.
"I'm so sorry" the woman said. She had a frantic look on her face and tin foil around her neck.
As she took a step back and really looked at Ex, her expression changed to confusion.
"What are you?" she asked in a whisper.
"Do you know Caspar?" was what Ex was programmed to respond.
"No. Are you a new way to make add? people are turning robots now?" the woman asked, panic rising in her voice.
Ex's mins started to race, thinking how to get rid of this woman and find Caspar.
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"Where's Caspar?" Ex started scanning the woman, finding traces of Caspar in her memories.
The woman looked at the robot, tilting her head. "Caspar? The Canadian guy? He was here but the diner he was in vanished just a little bit ago. This confused explanation brought to you by Motel 6. We'll leave the light on for you."
Ex found what she was looking for in the woman's mind. "Mary. You are Mary." She then transformed into Mary's most significant ex.
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"It's just for a week, Mary," she said, her voice saccherine sweet.
"It's not just going to be a week and you know it!" the woman responded instantly. The Ex was used to it. Nobody needed time to adjust when she slipped into the new personality. They were all waiting for the chance to let it out, to unleash the anger they'd kept in for so long.
"Lizzie, look around you," Mary continued. "It used to just be posters hung in the windows! And I didn't even like that. We stopped getting any natural light into the apartment, but I understood. We needed the money. But this? You shipping off on that ridiculous cruise for a week with HIM?"
"He's the CEO of---" The Ex began, but Mary didn't let her finish.
"I know exactly who he is, Lizzie, and I know why the company reached out to YOU about the content cruise. You're just an ordinary person. You're not the sort of person they typically hire, don't you see that? He's trying to force you to spend time with him and he's going to try to get you to break up with me."
"Mary, darling, we need the money. I know what he's trying to do, but with your student loans and my medical bills, can we really pass up the opportunity?"
"My student loans? So now this is my fault?"
"I mean, I told you you should have studied something more marketable." The bitter words flowed from her lips easily. It was what she'd been designed to do.
"More marketable?"
"I mean, anthropology? Not exactly a high revenue major, is it?"
Mary slapped her and The Ex didn't feel it, though she turned her head as if the contact had done something. She raised a hand as if to return the slap, but she didn't need to. Mary's anger at the world, at her plan failing, at the ex who had left her... It was right there, and now she had the excuse to let it free. The Ex let the woman tackle her to the ground. She didn't need to fight back. She let Mary slap her impenetrable skin and pull her solid hair. It didn't register with any pain, but the anger and frustration pouring from Mary recharged whatever need The Ex had for these confrontations.
When the fight drained from Mary, The Ex untangled herself, brushed the dirt from her knees, and took off after Caspar once more.